UCOL Te Pūkenga Manawatū valedictorian for certificate and diploma programmes Grace Souness.
UCOL Te Pūkenga Manawatū valedictorian for certificate and diploma programmes Grace Souness.
The day before James Pringle’s final tax exam he received a phone call that took away some of the stress.
“Sellar & Sellar, the biggest accounting firm in Masterton, called me the day before my final tax exam. It felt amazing to be approached and great to have that all sewn up.”
Pringle graduated this week with a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from UCOL Te Pūkenga.
He was one of 923 students from the Manawatū campus who graduated in ceremonies held over two days.
Like Pringle, Grace Souness was a offered job before she had completed her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.
“I’m working for Town and Country Vets in an emergency clinic - it was one of my placements and they offered me a role before I’d even finished,” she says.
“It’s really exciting, every single day we never know what is going to come through the door, so I’m on my toes!”
Souness and Pringle have both been bitten by the learning bug, continuing their studies part-time while they work. Souness is doing a Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing through EIT Te Pūkenga. Pringle has begun the process of becoming a chartered accountant.
One of Pringle’s highlights while at UCOL was the people he collaborated with and building a connection with te ao Māori. “Before, it was a foreign concept to me, even though it’s indigenous.
“It is hard to put into words, for those who haven’t experienced the wairua [spirit] of the space, just how much of an impact UCOL’s whānau room community has had on me. I began attending kapa haka, waiata and karakia with students and staff. It is such a supportive space for settling into study, and helped me begin my own journey with te ao Māori.”
UCOL Te Pūkenga Manawatū valedictorian for degrees and post-graduate James Pringle.
A highlight for Souness was discovering the power of motivation, not just knowledge.
“Our lecturers taught us that in the field, nothing’s going to be the same, or the way we expect. There’s going to be challenges and setbacks that are so unpredictable you may not know what to do with yourself. It really is all about critical thinking. The main thing I take away from UCOL is it’s okay not to plan everything, as long as you learn and adapt.”
The largest cohort was the 65 graduates who had completed their Bachelor of Nursing. Also celebrating were the first-ever graduates of UCOL’s Certificate in Electrical Pre-Trade Level 3 and the Certificate in Food and Beverage (Barista and Restaurant Service) Level 3.
